“Anyone who runs their own business knows you rarely switch off, there is always something to turn round, deliver or order. I run two businesses; my original freelance 3D exhibition/retail design work (Coo Creative) is still on-going but at a far less volume. That is cyclical work and I am involved in display build projects that go in to venues around the world over the course of the year. Its very deadline driven and reactive, you can’t sit on things and add it to the bottom of your ‘to do list’. It's a lot to juggle while running Coo Corner.
This too is reactive and immediate. Will I see just a couple of customers all day or be swamped with coffee orders (The Shop has a coffee station too). With people regularly popping in to show me their wares, or preloved clothes, it can be very stop/start. You need to adapt your daily expectations.
I can be very bubbly, alive, but also some days very quiet and needing my own space”.
While a pinball machine of thoughts and a bundle of insecurities, it’s these very traits that give Vic the edge in her creativity, what she makes, what she buys, how she displays it…
ROLL UP, ROLL UP The Shop sells lifestyle and gift solutions for all ages, occasions and interests far too numerous to list here. It’s an ever- changing emporium of uniquely diverse designers and makers from Herefordshire and worldwide, with a focus on hand crafted, fair trade, and sustainable recycled materials. “I am very passionate about the creative process and get rather excited about well designed products. I love to hear peoples’ ‘stories’” It’s like having ‘Not-on-the-High-Street’ on the High Street.
Vic makes her own ranges too, like the beautiful and practical bags (see retro design in image) all one-offs, just like her, and made from vintage scraps sourced from places like Gloucester Resource Centre or collected over time. With a love of fashion and in line with Vic’s ethical values, mooch around her growing pre-loved clothing boutique. To complement this there is funky handmade jewellery from materials like recycled inner tubes and more. Free gift wrapping is just one of the personal touches that add to your shopping experience and Vic’s customer service values.
THE HIGH WIRE “Design has always been my main passion. The ideal is to do a job in which you feel you are making a difference, a sense of purpose right? I wasn’t getting that. So, I started to make items from recycled, repurposed materials back in 2017.
With the encouragement of my husband, I would attend a monthly market in Grosmont, selling my makes. I loved it, while hoping the shop premises next to our home would come back on the market. Covid made the shop happen, the exhibition design work totally stopped as the world locked down and the shop space became available. I really believe fate played a bit part.
Running a shop is like an iceberg, what you see is just the tip. There is so much more to simply buying and selling stuff. I have had to learn, and am still learning about Marketing, social media, inventorying, VAT; which products have it which don’t. Sale/return accounting, and the Preloved items. Paying suppliers, selling from our website.
Realising I can’t always react to every little request, setting boundaries and managing expectations. Hygiene and health & safety requirements. Working with the limitations of an old building, rain/sun damage, where I can place stock that doesn’t get affected by these things. Display and presentation; it definitely will not sell if it looks awful! Thank goodness I have had amazing support from setting things up to an ongoing team that remains flexible with the shop’s needs.”
THE BALANCING ACT Husband Mark is now a builder and retained fire fighter, so is great at fixing things. Daughter Bea, 11, is a creative soul herself and a real budding retail asset. But despite living directly next to the shop, balancing time with family, friends and personal space is Vic’s big challenge. Having said that, she recently celebrated her 50th birthday in extravagant style, with a whole month of activities and bucket-list experiences.
In the meantime, the shop feeds Vic’s soul by meeting people, hearing their stories, making connections and being a part of the community. “The joy of seeing somebody find that perfect unique gift for someone they love, wrapping it up for them and sending them off relieved and happy is a treasured thing for me. I listen to a lot of podcasts, about all sorts of subjects. I get inspired when people overcome their fears, come to terms with their mistakes and keep going. Elizabeth Day ‘How to Fail’ has been a great awakening to realise that it’s ‘ok to fail’.”
Having launched and survived during the last four years in some of the toughest retail circumstances, The Shop at Coo Corner is rather a success story.
Call in for a browse and a brew at Fownhope, Herefordshire HR1 4PE, or shop online at
www.coocreative.co.uk for selected items and brilliant letterbox gift hampers to send a bit of Coo magic to a loved one.
Open: Tues 10am - 5pm, Weds 10am - 4pm, Thurs 10am - 6pm, Fri 10am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm
Find more unique places to shop in and around Herefordshire on
www.eatsleepliveherefordshire.co.uk
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FASHION COO CORNER
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